Spreader device for opening vulcanizing molds or the like



Nov. 25, 1930. s. F. WILSON ET AL 1,732,793

s'rnmfihn DEVICE FOR OPENING VULCANIZING uoLns OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JMWE" $907" &F%' m WW 6 mew Nov. 25, 1930. G. F. WILSON ET AL ,7

SPREADER DEVICE FOR OPENING VULCA-NIZING' HOLDS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 25, 1930, e. F. WILSON ET AL SPREADER DEVICE FOR OPENING VULCANIZING MOLDS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1927 :WN 5.. li V W \\A/ Q t. V /w 2 \w l $1 I K Q 2 ww @w ww @w x .R w

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Patented Nov. 25, 1930 1 mrn STATES PATENT. OFFICE I GEORGE E. vvILso v Ann HARRY E. wanna, or AKRON, m essreivonsro THE B. r.

GOODRIQH COMPANY, or new YORK, n. YL, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK srrtnannn nrivIcEroR opmme VULGANIZING Morris onrrm Lima Application filed November 25, 1927'. Serial No. 235,446.

This invention relates to devices for fdrc- .ing apart members such asthe sections of molds employed 1n the vulcan zing tires, and 1ts chief objects are to provide an 1111- p proved device for power separation of the mold sections without .IGqLHIIIIg accurate positioning of the mold; to provide ahigh mechanical advantage for initiating the sep arating movement of the vmold sections and w thereafter a more rapid movement for their further 'separationyto provide a ,hand-controlled mold-openingdeviceadapted for easy and quick positioning with relationto the mold; to provide for easy. and convenient application of the power while'the device is held in moldopenmg position; and to pro; vide strength and durability in such a de vlce. Oftheaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevationof a tire-moldcone veyor with tire molds thereon, an overhead track extending along the conveyor, and a mold-opening device supported from the overhead track and embodying our invention in itspreferred form as applied to the open ing of tire-molds. i

Fig. 2Iis'a vertical section oi: the. moldopening device. a

Fig. 8 is a' section on line 3 e 3 of Fig. 2. i Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the mold assemblies with parts of the mold-opem ing devicein association therewith. the mold sections" being shownin a partially opened condition to which they {are forced by the whileit operates with less mechanical advantage than that with which it opens the sections to the extent shown in Fig. 45.

Referringto the drawings, a tire moldconnumber oftire-vulcanizing mold assemblies eachcomprising a: lower mold section 11 and an upper mold section-.12, the lowermold section being provided with a dowel 11 5 adapted to enter adowel aperture 12 in the devicefwhile it operates? with a high me-Q ment which iseffected rapidly by the device veyor is shownin Fig.1 having thereon a upper section for accurate registry of the sections. ,As shown in Figs. 2, land 5each mold assembly also includes a trre core 13 and a. pair of bead-clanipingrings14, 15 which,

with-the mold sectionslll 12, enclose the tire Extending alongtheconveyor 10 is an overhead track17 (Fig, 1) uponwhich is mounted; a suspension truck 18 provider with a clevis 19, from which our improved mold-opening device is suspended by a cable i p i spring-reel device 21 having a hook 22 engaged. in the clevi s 19. i The mold-opening device comprises "a running from a hollow, drum-like grally at its lower casting 23formed inteend with a central, apertured hub or boss 24 supported by radial spider arms 24*, 2 1 Mounted upon the hub '24 is av ring 26 which formed witlrspiderarms 26 26 extendingoutwardlyand upwar dl y and supporting. a. .handle ring 27 formed integrally with the spider arms and surrounding the middle portion ofthe main body ofthe casting 23. The ring. 26 also-is formed with a pair of jaw members 25 projecting obliquely downward and laterallyfrom,itsrespective sides. Theuring 26 isse cured to the hub 2 4 by an annular cap-plate which issecuredto the lower end of the hub by screw-bolts 46, 46.

Theupper end of the casting QSis by a flexible diaphragm 28 preferably or rub- H her, which has its annular margin clamped between flange formed on the upper end of i the casting 23 and-a peripheral flange'formed on'a dome like cover-plate 29. The said plate is adapted to limit the upward flexure of the diaphragm 2:8 and is formed with an inlet. passage 30101 admitting pressure-fluid to the upper face .jOf the diaphragm. .The

flanges oi the casting 23 and the cover-plate 29 are clampedtogether upon the margin of the diaphragmby the end portions ofa bail member 31 formed withshoulders 32,,32 coacting with nuts 38, 33 upon the ends ofthe bail member togripthesaid flanges, the bail 1 member 31 lhavi ng attachment to the lower end of the cable 20 and supporting the moldopening device. Associated with the aw members 25 and interposed between them is a jaw member 34 having its shank connected by a pair of links such as the link 35 with a roughly diamondshaped push-block 36 which is interposed between a notched wear-plate 37 mounted in the upper edge of the shank of the jaw member 34 and a notched wear-plate 38 mounted in a flanged, cup-shaped end-fitting 39 which is mounted in the lower end of a vertically reciprocable hollow stem 40. The end-litting 39 is formed near its upper end with a circumferential groove 41 in which is engag-ed a retaining pin 42 mounted in the wall of the stem 40, this preferred construction being such that the end-fitting may have rotatire movement in the stem 40, although being retained therein, such that the notched wearplates 37 and 38 and the push-block 36 interposed between them may always find a strong and firm bearing upon each other. To retain the push-block 36 in association with the endfltting 39 the said block is formed with a transverse aperture 43 through which extends loosely a pin 44 extending across the central cavity of the end-fitting and having its ends nounted in the walls thereof, the aperture 43 being of such size as to permit the necessary angular movement of the block in association with the wear-plates 37 and 38.

The stem is slidably mounted in the central apertures of the cap-plate 45 and the hub 24. Secured upon the upper end of the stem 40 is a dome-shaped head 48 fitting the under side of the diaphragm 28 to act as a backin for the diaphragm to transmit the force or the diaphragm, through the stem 40 and other parts described, to the jaw member Interposed between the head 48 and an internal base flange 49 formed in the lower end of the casting 23 is a compression spring 50 constantly urging the head 48 and associated parts upwardly, to lift the shank of the member 34 when the fluid pressure above the diaphragm is relieved.

For supplying pressure fluid to the upper face of the diaphragm a valve-casing 51 is mounted upon the upper side of the plate 29 with its fluid-delivering passage in communication with the fluid passage 30 of the plate, and is connected with a flexible pipe 52 leading from a compressed-air line 53 which is supported by brackets from the overhead track 17. The casing 51 is formed with a valve-seat 54 between its fluid-receiving chamber 55 and its fluid-delivering passage 56 and with a valve-seat 57 through which pressure-fluid is exhausted from the upper face of the diaphragm 28, the two valve-seats mentioned being aligned and provided with respective closure members or valve-discs 58, 59 mounted upon a valvestem common to the two, the construction being such that when the valve-disc 58 is in closed position the valve-disc 59 will be in open position and vice versa. The valvestem 60 is slidably mounted in an apertured guide-plug 61 threaded into a suitable aperture in the top wall of the valve-casing and above the plug 61 the end portion of the valve-stem extends through and is secured in the end wall of a cup-shaped guide member 62, telescoped upon the upper end-portion of the plug 61 and formed with an annular, outwardly projecting flange (53 at its upper end. Loosely surrounding the guide member 62 and interposed between the flange 63 thereof and the upper end of the valveeasing 51 is a hub 64 from which integra! spider arms 65, 65 extend outward and downward to a handle-ring 66 formed integrally therewith and spaced a little above the handle-ring 27 hereinabove described. the construction beinosuch that the valvedisc 59 may be seated to shut off the exhaust and the valve-disc 58 concurrently lifted to apply pressure fluid to the diaphragm 28 by tilting the spider structure comprising the handle-ring 66, spider arm 65 and hub (34, and thus causing one or another side of the hub 64 to crowd upward the guide member 62, carrying the valve-stem with it as illustrated by the broken lines in Fig. 2.

For assisting the pressure of the air from the flexible pipe 52 to close the valve-disc 58 and open the valve-disc 59 when the handlering 66 is released, a compression spring 67 is interposed between the disc 58 and a flanged packing-retainer 68 mounted in the lower end of the plug 61. The structure described is such that an operator grasping any part of the handle-ring 66 may conveniently charge and vent the space between the diaphragm 28 and the plate 29 and thus cause the jaw member 34 to be turned with relation to the jaw members 25.

Each of the two jaw members 25 is formed on its inner face with an upwardly facing fulcrum boss 69 relatively near the main body of the ring 26, and at the position of these bosses a hardened bolt 70 extends through the two jaw members and is formed on upper side, over the bosses, with plane faces meeting at an angle, to provide a fulcrum-edge 71 at the axis of the bolt and adapted to coact with a wear-plate 72 inset in the lower edge of the jaw member 34.

At a position farther from the body portion of the ring 26, which is to say nearer the work-engaging portions of the jaw members, the jaw member 34 is formed on each side face with a fulcrum boss 73, and a hardened bolt 74 extends transversely through the jaw member and under each of the bosses 73 and is formed with downwardly facing fulcrum edges 75 at the axis of the bolt adapted to coact with respective wear-plates '26 inset in the edge of the adjacent j aw members 25. Preferably the bolt 70 is secured against rotation in the jaw members 25 and the bolt 74 is secured against rotation in the 25 shank of the aw member 34 being lifted, the

1,782,798 r p M jaw member 34 to keep their fulcrum edges properly facing the wear-plates with which they coact.

At each side of the jaw assembly a link 77 is rotatably mounted upon the adjacent ends of the bolts 70 and 74 and retained thereon by nut-s 7 8, 7 8 so that in the moldopening relative movement of the jaw members 34 and the jaw members will be held in proper relation While first operating "upon the fulcrum of the bolt '74 in contact with the welarplates 7 6, with high mechanical advantage, until the wear-plate 72 engages the bolt 70, the jaws then operating upon the fulcrum of the bolt 70 in contact withthe said wear-plate, for a more rapid movement and a wider range of movement of the forward, mold-engaging extremities of the jaw members, andthe links 77 turning about the fulcrum edge 7 of the bolt, at. the

axis thereof.

In the operation of device, the handlering 66 resting in parallel relation to the handle-ring 27 and the space over the dia phragm 28 consequentlybeing vented and the device is so manipulated by means of the a mold assembly at the inner periphery there= Y handle-ring 27 as to insert the forward ends of the jaw members between the upper section 12 and the upper bead-clamping ring 14 of of and preferably at approximately the circumferential position of the dowel 11 to avoid cramping of the dowel. By reason of the suspension of the device from the spring reel 21 the device readily may be brought to the proper elevation for the mold-opening operatiomand the provision of :the complete annular handle-rings 27 and 26' permits the device to be turned on a vertical axis to the desired position with relation to the'mold assembly and its dowel 11*, the valve-actuating ring 66 being adapted to be readily, grasped bythe operator at any position about the device to operate the valves.

The device having been positioned in association with the mold assembly as described, the operator forcestoward the mug 27 such part of the ring 66 as may most readily be grasped and thereby charges the space over the diaphragm 28 with compressed air, which 7 forces downward the stem 40 and the shank of the jaw member 34;.

In this power movement ofthe jaw member 34 the aw first fulcrums at 7 5, forcing the mold sections apart with a high mechanical advantage, until the wear-plate 72 contacts 7 the bolt 70,'as shown inFig. 4, whereupon the further downward movement ofthe stem 40 causes the jaws to fulcrum at .7 land further open the mold, to the position shown in Fig. 5, with a comparatively rapid action. When the mold has thus been opened its sectlons may be propped apart by means of'a prop block 7 9, as shown in Fig, 5. The handle-ring engaging portions.

66- is then released and is swung back into parallel relationwith the handle-ring 27by the force of the airipressure in the chamber 55 of the valve casing and the force of the compression spring 67, which shuts off the supply of air and nnseats the valve-disc 59 to vent the .deviceso that the stem {iOis lifted by the spring and the j aw members are returned to their initial relative positions. The device is then withdrawn from the mold assem bly and is ready for a repetition of the operationlas described. r l

l 1 Our invention provides the several advani fulcrum means on the two jaw members having their 'fulcrum axis relatively close to thework-Tengaging portions of the jaw members for high mechanical advantageand coacting fulcrum means on the two jaw members havlng their fulcrumaxis farther from the said work-engaging portions for actuat- V i ing the latter at relatively high speed and with a relatively wide range. V

2. A spreader comprising a pair of spreaderjaw members and fulcrum means thereon so constructed and arranged as to give a shift 7 ing of the fulcrum axis with relation to both of the members as the said members arerela tively turned to spread apart their work- 3. Apparatus of the character described comprising ajpair of spread'erj aw members associated for pivoted coaction as levers of the ,first'order and a fluid-pressure device connecting said members for actuating the same.

4. Apparatusof the character described comprising apair of spreader jaw members 7 associated for pivotal coaction as levers of r the first order and a fluid-pressure device con- 1 necting said members for actuating the same, the said jaw members and the said fluid-pressure device being freely movable as aunit.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 including a valve mounted upon the fluid-pressure de vice for controlling the latter and valveactuating means including handle means at substantially all positions about the device.

6. Apparatus of the. character described comprising a fluid-pressure device having two relatively-moving, power-actuated elements,

yielding means for suspending the device from an overhead support, and a pair of pivotally coacting spreader aw members arranged as levers of the first order having operative connection respectively to the two 1 relative]y-moving, power actuated elements of the fluid-pressure device.

7. A spreader comprising a pair of jaw members, two pairs of fulcrum means thereon at different distances from the Work-engaging portions of said members, and a link member pivoted to one of said members at one of the fulcrum axes and to the other of said members at the other fulcrum axis.

10 8. A spreader as defined in claim 7 inc1uding power means for turning one of the jaw members with relation to the other.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands (his 22nd day of November, 1927. 15 GEORGE F. VILSON.

HARRY E. VJANER. 

